Phoenix police will begin implementing a raft of measures
designed to improve relations between the department and the public
after the City Council gave the plans a positive review last
week.

"The common denominator was to find a way for the police
department to better deal with the public," said Councilman Sal
DiCiccio, whose district includes Ahwatukee Foothills. "If we need
to be doing a better job of communicating, we should do it."

The list includes such things as requiring officers to undergo a
urine analysis test after any officer-involved shooting, educating
officers that videotaping of their actions in public is lawful and
that their behavior at any time might be videotaped by an onlooker,
sponsoring an interfaith "Annual Public Safety Day" event and
emphasizing the recruitment of minority officers to ensure the
department reflects the communities they serve.

The Community Engagement and Outreach Task Force, created by
Phoenix officials in the spring, distilled the results from public
input taken at a series of community meetings across the city in
September, including one at the Pecos Community Center in Ahwatukee
Foothills.

The purpose was to develop an action plan to ensure that police
treat all people with respect, dignity and professionalism. Some of
the suggestions include mandating that officers provide a
professional card with their name, badge number and supervisor's
contact information whenever they interact with the public.

Other recommendations include:

• Encouraging community leaders, faith-based organizations and
non-profits to share community concerns with police on a regular
basis.

• Developing a regular "State of the Police Department"
report.

• Allowing residents who file a complaint about an officer to
review the officers' comments and submit additional information to
the Professional Standards Bureau once the investigation has begun,
as well as providing a process where complainants have the same
level of representation during the complaint process as
officers.

• Training officers to be more culturally competent regarding
differences of race, color, national origin, sexual-orientation and
disability.

• Encouraging officers to exit their vehicles daily to engage
individuals and business owners.

• Conducting a pilot program to determine the effectiveness of
installing dash cams in patrol cars.